CyberC3: A Prototype Cybernetic Transportation System for Urban Applications

In this paper, a prototype cybernetic transportation system called cybernetic technologies for cars in Chinese cities (CyberC3) is introduced. This system contains as many modules as necessary to evaluate the feasibility for its potential mass application in cities, including a central control room, five stations, three on-road monitoring cameras, three intelligent vehicles, and a green-energy power system. The entire system is centrally controlled and runs in two different modes—the “shuttle mode” and the “on-demand mode.” The control algorithm is divided into three logical layers: scheduling, planning, and executing. The scheduling layer manages the entire system, the planning layer navigates the vehicle, and the executing layer controls the vehicle in real time. The vehicle is powered by supercapacitor batteries. This system is a demonstration system, as well as a research platform, and has been open to the public in Shanghai, China, since May 2007, which has helped to evaluate the entire system and spread the concept of “cybernetic transportation systems” in China.